Sunshine and Berries

It has been beautiful summer and hope everyone is having a wonderful time and enjoying sunny days. The last few months had been quite busy for me, with kids being at home and my family visiting us from India and that’s why I have not been able to post anything.

Being a foodie and Indian food being my strength, desserts and cakes are not something that I made a lot in India but you never stop learning. My knowledge of cakes was very limited while in India. The only thing I knew were two kind of cakes, vanilla or chocolate, which my mother made sometimes at home and a little fancy one was with whipped cream and topped with canned pineapple and cherries. So for us cake is just a cake; don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy a piece of soft, freshly baked cake. But I love to try also different combinations of texture and flavor. While looking for dessert recipes and watching food shows I am always amazed with so many delicious and beautiful flavor combinations.

I have recently gotten to know about modern style pastry called as entremet which is multilayered mousse-based cake with various complementary flavors and textures. I made this one last month and called it ‘Sunshine and Berries’ as in my opinion the color and flavors celebrates summer.

This entrement recipe includes some of my favorite flavors of coconut, passion fruits and raspberries. At the bottom of the cake is almond and hazelnut meal sponge and top of it is creamy coconut mousse which incorporates layers of raspberry jelly and passion fruit cremeux.

Pour the mixture into prepared baking tray and bake at 180-190 C for 12-15 minutes. Check that it is cooked through. Remove pan from the oven and let it cool down. Cut it into 20 cm round shape.

For raspberry jelly

Take a 18cm round container/cake ring and place cling film in it.

Place the gelatin in cold water and let it bloom for 5-7 minutes.

Place the raspberries and sugar in a pan on medium-high heat. When it starts to boil reduce the heat and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes. Add in little water if needed. Strain the mixture. Stir in the gelatin.

Place the mixture in prepared container. Leave it in the fridge until set.

For passion fruit cremeux:

Place the gelatin in cold water and let it bloom for 5-7 minutes.

Place the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl. Using a whisk beat until pale. Add the corn starch and mix well. Set aside.

Bring the passion fruit juice to the boiling point in a saucepan.

Pour the hot passion fruit puree over the egg yolk mixture then return back on heat and cook on low just until thickened and it reaches 85C. Remove from heat and stir in the gelatin. Allow to cool down to 40C then add the butter and mix well.

Pour the cremeux into an 18cm round container (cake ring). Let it set in the fridge for a few hours.

For coconut mousse:

Place the gelatin in cold water and let it bloom for 5-7 minutes.

Place the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl. Using a whisk beat until pale. Add the corn starch and mix well. Set aside.

Place the coconut milk in a pot and bring it to boil. As soon as it starts to boil pour it over the beaten eggs, adding one ladle at a time, while stirring it continuously. Put it back to the stove. Cook until it thickens, then stir in vanilla and gelatin. Let it cool.

Gently fold in the whipped cream, in 2-3 parts, until completely combined.

Place the egg whites in a bowl. Using electric mixer whisk the whites until you obtain stiff peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the mixture until just combine.

For Passion fruit glaze:

Place the gelatin in cold water and let it bloom for 5-7 minutes.

Bring the passion fruit juice to the boiling point in a saucepan. Stir in the sugar and gelatin sheets. Remove it off the heat and let it cool down to room temperature.

To assemble the entremet:

Place the almond and hazelnut sponge in a 20 cake ring lined baking paper.

Pour around ¼ of the coconut mousse over the sponge and place the cake in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Remove the cake from the fridge, together with the cremeux and the raspberry jelly.

Gently remove the raspberry jelly from the ring and place them over the coconut mousse.

Pour ¼ of the mousse into the cake ring and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes at least.

Remove the cake from the fridge, together with the cremeux.

Gently remove cremeux from the ring and place them over second layer of the coconut mousse.

Pour remaining mousse on the cremeux layer and place it back in the fridge for one hour.

After one hour the cake should look fairly set. Pour the final layer of passion fruit glaze. Let it set in the fridge for few hour.

Before serving remove the cake from its ring and decorate with passion fruit seeds and fresh raspberries.

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Welcome to my kitchen.

My name is Rashmi Ahuja Toivanen. I come from the Northern part of India. Over a decade ago, I left India to pursue a career in science. My research work has taken me to laboratories in Germany, United States and Finland. A few years back I moved to Finland with my husband Mikko. We now live in Helsinki with our two little boys.